Peaks and troughs for travel market

The market for travel books has struggled in the past year, but publishers are finding ways to rise to the challenges of a tough retail environment, changing trends and a shift to more sustainable travel.

According to DK Eyewitness publishing director Georgina Dee, the travel guide market had a “challenging” year in 2019, “not a surprise when you look at what was happening in the world politically, environmentally and socially”. This statement is echoed by other travel specialists. Jonathan Wilson, publisher and managing director of outdoor activities guidebook specialist Cicerone Press, says that “the statistics and the anecdotal feel would suggest that the overall travel market is struggling somewhat”, citing political uncertainty and the weak pound as factors.

Lonely Planet‚Äôs Tom Hall described last year‚Äôs trading conditions as “tough”, adding: “Even though Lonely Planet outperformed the market... this was against a declining backdrop overall”. Vivien Godfrey, chairman and c.e.o. of map and travel retailer Stanfords, says the retail environment remains difficult thanks to rising rents, rates hitting bricks-and-mortar outlets disproportionately, and a big increase in the minimum wage. Following a similarly “challenging” year, APA Publications‚Äô head of publishing Sarah Clark says it is seeing “signs of improvement”. Bradt Guides‚Äô managing director Adrian Phillips also reports a “mixed picture”, explaining: “The market as a whole has seen a fall in the last two years. However, when you dig down, it‚Äôs not a decline across the board. European destinations have suffered disproportionately in recent months, perhaps owing to concerns around Brexit or a weak pound, but some categories are seeing a significant uplift.”

Go green
One such growth area is in sales of books focusing on sustainable travel. Stanfords has seen a “significant increase in sales of rail maps and guides”, while Hall highlights sustainable travel as a “key issue”, where the publisher is seeing a “huge shift in attitudes”. A recent survey of more than 7,500 members of Lonely Planet‚Äôs global community of travellers saw 68% claim they now care more about sustainable travel than they used to. As such, its publishing list for 2020 features a number of books focused on sustainable travel, including Sustainable Escapes (publishing in March), Low-Carbon Europe (May), The Sustainable Travel Handbook (November) and, under its children‚Äôs imprint Lonely Planet Kids, The Plastic Problem (March). Last month it launched Lonely Planet Experiences, a collection of carbon-neutral tours developed with tour company Intrepid Travel.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2020, APA Publications is introducing a new Responsible Travel initiative covering its books, online business and general company actions. It will place an increased emphasis on thoughtful travel, responsible actions and the value of travel promoting socio-cultural exchange. In addition, it is looking to make responsible decisions in its book printing and shipping choices, in terms of paper used and freight management, and its team will be engaging in a range of charitable fundraising activities.

Another trend in the market, reflecting changes in how we travel, is the success of pocket guides. DK has just published a new Mini Map + Guides series of compact guides, with maps, in “a beautiful package”. Godfrey suggests that the continuing growth of smaller-format pocket guides “might well have to do with how people now favour shorter, more frequent breaks over longer holidays”, as well as the “brief and highly focused” way in which travellers consume information these days.

Hall agrees, saying that Lonely Planet‚Äôs Pocket Guides and Best Of series are “performing particularly well”, and this is “perhaps reflective of people taking more frequent, but shorter, breaks, and as a result seeking succinct, curated advice to get the most out of their trip.” He adds: “The success of the whole range has enabled us to continue to add more cities to the series as people seek to explore beyond the most well-trodden tourist hotspots, and discover lesser-known destinations.” Dee echoes this, saying that travellers “want to discover cities other than the main capitals... and are looking for guides covering those areas”, and that “niche travel experiences continue to be important to people and are only likely to grow”.

The most popular destinations among Stanfords’ customers are Costa Rica, Japan, the Caucasus and Central Asia, with the Bradt guide to Georgia ranking as its single bestselling guide. Godfrey notes a decline in the sale of guides for the Far East in recent weeks, possibly as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. She also registers a continuing interest in travel literature, with a record number of entries being submitted for the company’s annual Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards.

On your bike
In terms of broader trends, Wilson says: “Going for a walk or a bike ride has been a good part of the market to be in for the last few years and that continued last year”, while Phillips says there has been a “surge” in the market for guides focusing on outdoor activities as well as titles focusing on the UK, with Bradt‚Äôs series of Slow Travel Guides to regions of the UK, and its guide to stand-up paddle boarding, proving popular. DK and Lonely Planet also recorded a stronger year for guidebooks to UK destinations in 2019. Hall says: “This could be the result of the UK‚Äôs heightened attractiveness to overseas visitors in light of a weakened currency, which conversely also encouraged more UK residents to holiday at home.”

APA Publications is launching a new Pocket Rough Guides British Breaks series, and Clark also highlights sales opportunities for 2020 around key upcoming sporting events, including the Olympics (Japan has been a “key destination” for the publisher for several years) and UEFA‚Äôs Euro 2020 championships (it is publishing new pocket guides to Baku, Bucharest and Bilbao to sit alongside its existing guides to every other host city for the tournament). “Inspiration for experiences remains important too,” she adds.

Several publishers have digital projects in the pipeline. Cicerone Press has been working on a “substantial” new project on the Camino Francés walking route in Santiago, Spain. The print guide was launched in January and the publisher is releasing a navigational and information app that supports the book in March—its most ambitious to date.

APA Publications is continuing to invest in and improve its Insight Guides and Rough Guides website content, especially its destinations coverage. Bradt Guides is planning to roll out an app that enables people to choose specific parts that are relevant to their trip, to package into a “suitcase” of information on their tablet or smartphone. It is also building a new website, offering significantly better functionality (it will go live in a month or two), and it will launch a new look for its books later this year.

As well as unveiling a brand redesign, DK has relaunched its DK Eyewitness social media channels in recent months, which Dee says are seeing “great engagement”. Following the arrival of its new c.e.o. Luis Cabrera at the beginning of 2019, Lonely Planet has made diversification through partnerships, acquisitions and leveraging new technology a “top priority”. As such, last year it acquired AI-driven travel marketplace Trill Travel, and “destination content specialist” ArrivalGuides. As well as continuing to add physical locations to its chain, retailer Stanfords is building a completely new back-end to its website, which is scheduled to go live before the end of March.

On the horizon
Despite the challenges, travel publishers are positive about the future. Wilson is looking ahead to Cicerone Press‚Äô “active publishing programme”, which promises “steady development of the range and lots going on”. Hall calls it an “exciting time for Lonely Planet”, adding: “we‚Äôre still performing well”. Dee says that DK is continuing to invest in travel publishing and that it “continues to be a hugely important part of our list”.

Bradt Guides is still seeing steady sales through chains such as Waterstones and Blackwell‚Äôs, as well as independent booksellers. Phillips adds: “Beyond that, we continue to increase the number of books on our list and our focus remains firmly on pioneering publishing and maintaining our reputation for getting there first.

“Indeed, as we speak, Hilary Bradt [who founded the company nearly 50 years ago] is on the island of Socotra [near Yemen], researching the first ever guidebook to the place for publication in the autumn!”

Thumbnail picture credit: The Cordillera del Paine range in Torres del Paine, © Jonathon Gregson/Lonely Planet